Katterhenry finishes second again after disappointing final round

Photographs by DANIEL R. PATMORE / SPECIAL TO THE COURIER & PRESS
Meghan Perry hits from the tee No. 12 during the first round of the Women’s City Golf Tournament at Helfrich Hills golf course Saturday morning. Perry shot a 2-under 72 and leads the competition by two strokes over Kayla Katterhenry.

EVANSVILLE - Like most Division I scholarship athletes, Ball State senior Meghan Perry will sweat.

It just didn't happen on Sunday at Cambridge Golf Club in the final round of the Evansville Courier & Press Women's City Golf Tournament.

After entering the final 18 holes with a two-stroke lead, Perry jumped out early when Kayla Katterhenry stumbled out of the gate. Perry watched her lead dwindle to where it started after 10 holes, then coasted to victory late.

Even though Perry missed short par putts on two of the last three holes, she had done such fine work for most of the round it didn't matter.

Perry thus won her second straight Women's City Tournament title, following Saturday's 2-under 72 at Helfrich Hills with a 5-over 77 on Sunday at Cambridge.

Katterhenry followed Saturday's 74 with an 82 (156) that included four excruciating hiccups (two double and two triple bogeys) to doom her to second place for the second-straight year and her third runner-up finish in the City in four tries.

Natalia Fletcher, the 2007 champion, was third in 159.

"I'm really proud of myself," Perry said. "I wasn't sure I was ready because I was working so much (with an internship), but I'm really glad I came back and played.

"Two years ago when I finished second, I was really upset with myself because I realized I could've won. So I kept working really hard to get better and it paid off. I've come a long way."

How far? When Perry was a freshman at North High School, she was shooting in the 60s — for nine holes. Now she has been in the 60s for 18 holes, such as when she shot a 68 at Fendrich on the way to her first City championship.

"I've had so much help from my parents, great coaches, teammates and Tyler (Merkel, her boyfriend and fellow college golfer from Evansville and Ball State). He's helped as much as anybody. It's interesting to see how far I've come."

Perry also credited best friend and former North teammate Katie Smith, a Fluty Scholarship Award winner herself.

"There was never a ‘eureka' moment for me," Perry said. "It was more about Katie and I always working together, practicing and pushing each other to improve. I always knew I could get better, but I could never picture where I am today."

Sunday's round took an odd twist early when Katterhenry double-bogeyed No. 1, then followed with her first triple bogey on the par-5 second hole.

"I knew it was about my game at that point," Perry said. "But I know Kayla's a good player. I knew she'd come back."

Katterhenry birdied the par-3 third and by the time she parred the rugged 10th hole compared with a bogey for Perry, the match was where it started the day, two strokes apart.

But Katterhenry found the lateral hazard left off the tee at No. 11, which led to an eventual double bogey, and not even a long birdie putt at the par-5 12th ever could get the former Castle standout closer than three strokes again.

"I didn't even realize it was close (at No. 10)," Perry said. "When I get to the course I don't think about numbers unless I need to put pressure on myself. But I felt like I was playing well enough I didn't need to do that today."

Fletcher was impressed.

"Meghan never messed up," Fletcher said. "I can't think of a hole where she was ever in trouble. She just played a solid round of golf, a solid tournament."